Teenagers are often very sensitive and reactive to environments around them. Sometimes they are laughing with joy, whereas they are having tears in their eyes after a few hours. This is generally known as going through puberty, but there are scientific reasons for the cause of the mood swings.

 

First, the brains of teenagers are rapidly developing while teenagers are in their adolescence. The prefrontal cortex, which is for reasoning, decision-making, and impulse control is still maturing. However, the amygdala, which processes strong emotions like fear and anger, is maturing faster than the prefrontal cortex. This difference in the speed of maturing causes teenagers to react more emotionally. Second, puberty activates more hormone changes such as fluctuation of estrogen and testosterone. This can amplify sensitivity and emotional instability. Moreover, social or academic changes as well as stress are more frequently appearing in modern teens. This is because of the fact that they are often stressed due to preparation for college or careers and encounter more complicated relationships through social media. Finally, teenagers naturally experience a shift in sleep patterns like sleeping late and struggling to wake up early.

Even if mood swings are a natural thing among teenagers, it is essential to learn how to appropriately manage mood swings, so getting support from parents or surrounding adults is important.

By Jeonghwa Oh

Works Cited

https://www.keycounselingatl.com/blogs/rl8v556zq78gum7b5zaj9udnjzwpdd#:~:text=Meanwhile%2C%20the%20amygdala%2C%20which%20processes,of%20hormones%20at%20this%20age.

https://mightymentalhealth.com/why-teens-are-experiencing-more-mood-swings/